The 54-hole Hunters Run Country Club in Boynton Beach, Florida, continually strives to improve the golf experience for its members.

Over the past 15 years, all three of the club’s 18-hole courses have been renovated as Hunters Run strives to provide optimum playing conditions in a highly popular golf market.

The club’s South Course was renovated in 2001 by Mark McCumber and the North Course in 2018 by Sanford Golf Design.

The club is now turning its attention to the eastern course, which was redesigned by Kipp Schulties in 2008, adding elevation changes and re-creating a number of holes.

“The toll of South Florida’s weather, our year-round play and the dramatic increase in golf since the pandemic has highlighted the need for improvement,” said Larry Savvides, Hunters Run’s chief operating officer. “Steps had to be taken to ensure competitive playability and aesthetics to protect property values ​​and the club’s reputation.

“The maintenance team did their best to keep the east end in a respectable condition, but there were many aspects of the course that needed repair, from the condition of the subsurface and the low elevation to the drainage and irrigation systems.”

In September 2023, the membership approved a nearly $10 million renovation, again led by Schulties. Hunters Run will finance the project for 10 years with a monthly capital assessment per household from the membership. Construction began in March, and all major work is expected to be completed by mid-August.

“The 2024 renovation continues the trend of elevating the higher parts of the course while also solving some select low areas,” Schulties said. “My intent has always been to make the East the most contoured of the three at Hunters Run. Florida is very flat, so elevation and contours are what make a course unique in the South Florida market.

“We’re not making any major changes in 2024, but there are numerous subtle changes to the course that will make a noticeable difference to members. While the East may not be the longest or biggest course at Hunters Run, we believe it is the best and through this renovation we are looking to maximise everything this course and the land beneath it have to offer, without regretting that we left anything on the table. In 2008 we carried out a significant amount of work, but we did that work to stay within budget. In 2024 the club has given us everything we need to make the course the best it can be.”

In addition to adding elevation changes and adjusting the playing fields, Schulties’ plan calls for expanding and/or relocating many of the tees, formalizing the back tees, new cart paths, lake extensions, new bunkers, new greens and new wooden bulkheads.

One of the biggest changes is the relocation of the ninth green towards the approach area and slightly to the right towards the eleventh green, to create space for future club facilities. The back shelf on the two-tiered green is also being extended to provide better shot reception.

At the sixteenth, plans are to lower the green complex and move it closer to the lake and shot wall. The green will be extended and moved to the right, as out of bounds left is close to the existing cart path. A new bailout area will be created to the left of the green.

The first step in the 2024 renovation included the installation of silt fences, site cleanup, and stripping and burying the old Tifway 419 turf. This portion of the work also included locating areas to harvest additional fill to raise low areas prone to flooding.

“We then continued to reshape the course, raising low areas 18 to 24 inches to improve drainage and resurfacing course features such as tees, bunkers and greens,” said Amy Volk, golf course maintenance manager at Hunters Run. “TifEagle turf is used on greens, while Bunker Solution liner is used in bunkers to preserve and extend the usable life of the bunker sand while providing more playable bunkers.”

Schulties adds: “We have used Bunker Solution liner at many clubs to ensure consistent playing conditions and maintenance.”

The second half of construction includes the installation of a new Toro Lynx irrigation system and the resurfacing of the fairways with Celebration Bermuda, which will grow prior to the January 2025 reopening.

Savvides says, “In keeping with the club’s mission statement, ‘We strive to be a country club community dedicated to providing exceptional facilities and unforgettable experiences,’ it will be a priority for the club to preserve the courses for the enjoyment of our current and future members.”

This article first appeared in the April 2024 issue of Golf course architecture. For a print subscription or a free digital edition, please visit our subscriptions page.